The Masterpiece (Dutch Masters Jersey) – AGU & Team Jumbo Visma

In 2022, UCI World Tour outfit Team Jumbo-Visma (TJV) and its apparel and equipment supplier AGU were challenged by cycling’s governing body and race owner/organiser The Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) to modify the design of the team’s official race kit for the Tour de France due to its similarity with event’s iconic CG leader’s yellow jersey and responded by blending AI and the Dutch Old Masters to reinforce the team and sportswear brand’s national roots and creating what has become, arguably, the most talked about cycling jersey of all time.

 

Territory: Netherlands, France & Global

 

Agency: TDE

 

 

Objective

 

Dutch bike clothing and equipment brand AGU, (originally called Alkmaarse Groothandels Unie and formed from the merger of three bike businesses in 1966), is in the middle of a European expansion plan and a key part of the strategy is to grow brand awareness (and shift product) through its apparel partnership with Netherland’s based UCI World Tour behemoth Team Jumbo-Visma.

 

The team’s regular jersey is dominated by the colour yellow (with black accents) to promote the signature colours of its two title sponsors: The Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo and the Norwegian software company Visma. But, in 2022, the sport’s governing body (UCI) and Tour de France rights owner (ASO) felt the team kit design needed to be modified due to its similarity with the race’s iconic General Classification Leader’s iconic yellow jersey.

 

So the team, AGU’s marketing group and agency TDE took this as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

 

 

Activation

 

The joint design/marketing group’s approach to the challenge was for the re-design to emphasise AGU’s and TJV‘s Dutch heritage and roots and the idea was to reinforce its links to The Netherland’s by taking creative inspiration from the art world’s Dutch Masters.

 

The group sought inspiration from the artistic and creative skills of the Dutch Masters: a group of painters who, like AGU and TJV, were famous and admired for seeking perfection in every detail. But to avoid repetition, rights and plagiarism issues and to create something fresh – albeit inspired by the classics – it was decided to create new artwork inspired and informed by the Old masters.

 

The result was ‘The masterpiece’: a cycling shirt designed by artificial intelligence and based on the paintings of the big three Dutch painters – Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Vermeer.

 

AGU and TJV initially began telling ‘The Masterpiece’ shirt story in April through a stepped, digital-first and PR marketing campaign. Before a second phase of campaign activations rolled out when TJV’s riders debuted the shirt on the road at the start of the 2022 Tour De France.

 

As the team’s riders – spearheaded by GC leader Jonas Vingegaard and young phenemomen Wout van Aert – began to dominate all aspects of the world’s most famous bike race, ‘The Masterpiece’ became more than just a campaign. Riders, journalists and commentators began using the phrase and the design concept to characterise the stunning success of the team. Plus team partners Jumbo, Škoda and Shimano also amplified ‘The Masterpiece’ theme with their own race-linked campaigns.

 

By the end of the 2022 Tour de France, TJV had unprecedentedly won almost all of the available jerseys – yellow (GC), polka dot (mountain), green (sprinters/points) and red number (most combative) – ‘The Masterpiece’ had entered cycling folklore as a phrase and a shirt representing worldwide sporting success.

 

 

 

Outcome

 

According to AGU and its agency, the initiative exceeded all expectations in terms of attention, engagement and sales.

 

In total the project reached 207m people with a media reach equivalent value of €2.900.000. Plus, more than 11,500 ‘Masterpiece’ jerseys were sold: representing a 1140% increase on the regular 2022 Team Jumbo-Visma jersey.